KidsOutdoors

Event Started: 02/06/2008 - 18:00

Event Finished: 02/06/2008 - 21:00

Location: Lochgoilhead

Attendees: 8

This week we travelled to Lochgoilhead to try a Burn Run.    We were soon kitted out with wet suits, buoyancy aids and helmets, and our instructors, Shaggy and Callum, gave us a safety talk and a few tips on how best to stand and move through the river and the wet rocks.

There was a short walk to the river and we had to harness ourselves onto a safey rope to negotiate the first few metres of narrow ledge.   The careful process of unscrewing our karibiners and safely reattaching ourselves to the next section of rope gave the swarming clouds of midges time to feast.  They were driving us wild and we were grateful to take the plunge at the first large pool.   We took it turns to approach the ledge and leap into the icy mountain water.     The initial shock quickly wears off.    

We then made our way up river, negotiating waterfalls and pools.  The next test was to lie on our belly and to squeeze ourselves through a small channel.  It was a bit like caving and pot holing, and the gap was just big enough for everyone to squirm through.   

A few more plunge pools and then we had a sit down.  The seat, however, was a natural depression in the rock and it lay directly behind a waterfall.  We took it in turns to push our way through the waterfall and sit down.   As we looked back through the waterfall, the cascading water was just inches from the end of our nose. 

We had reached the end of our journey, finishing at a large deep pool.  One more chance to dive bomb into the water before facing the walk back downhill. 

Everyone had a great time and everyone pushed themselves a little, trying something new and exciting.   Well done.